Broken Furnaces, Blossoming Love
by nemuemu
Summary: AU SpannerTsuna


SPANNERTSUNA IS RULING MY BRAIN

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Spanner always considered himself an introvert. He also always thought that Japanese culture is fascinating, sweet things should be consumed 24 hours a day, and curly blond hair did not stick out of the crowd. He also didn't have any problem with the lack of attraction he felt towards the human species. None at all. Until that kid in the grocery store. Who'd been carrying some kind of cow-child hybrid as well as a baby with a rather large forehead.

On the same day, he sees the Kid walking home alone. All brown eyes, spiky hair, slender build, and Japanese. Well, Spanner _is_ in Japan, so he hears the language, which is all soft and loud and amazing, coming at him in waves. So when he hears hesitant Japanese coming from that petite mouth into a small, fashionable cellphone, it doesn't send a mix of emotion curling through his guts. Nope.

That was two times, around two days ago. So technically, on the day of two days ago, he'd met the Kid twice. And then he hears that voice again crackling with static through his cheap cord phone. Maybe his ears are hallucinating.

But if it was, that would mean Spanner is hearing Kid's voice the second time out of the two times he's seen him on that day two days ago. Spanner's brain fizzes and he glares accusingly at the lollipop in his mouth. Or rather, the lollipop that he took out of his mouth to glare accusingly at.

No, seriously. He was never going to touch blackberry lollypops ever again. Not even if they were incredibly deliciously sweet. _Especially_ if they were incredibly deliciously sweet. That was probably the reason why his hand flinches a little, just a little, as he drops the sucker straight into the wastebasket lying at his feet. He wouldn't miss it. No, he wouldn't.

Then he hears a word coming from that voice- his name is Tsuna. Tsuna's voice. "Tsuna." Spanner rolls the word around with his tongue, relishing the _tss_, as it was the only sound that separated the Kid- Tsuna's name from Tuna.

"Ah... yea... I... um... get that a lot..." makes Spanner quirk an eyebrow. Did he say that out loud? And the kid, Tsuna, reminds him of that small brown mouse he saw at the pet store. All twitchy, fidgety, and small, tiny paws. Not that he'd buy anything there.

"Don't worry, Tsuna-kun. I'm not a bully. However discerning the... your furnace-"

"The X-Burner," the timid voice helpfully provides. Spanner notes it sounds decidedly bolder and can't help but think that this... X-Burner may be competition for his King Moska.

"Yes, the X-Burner." Spanner knows he has a gleam in his eye, but he really really really wants to see it. Preferably in action. "You say it's incomplete? Or is it just that the stability is off?"

"I'm not... too sure actually... That's... um... the reason why I called maintenance." The Kid- Tsuna sounds embarrassed, like it's his fault. Spanner smiles and takes out a lollipop from his pocket. It's not blackberry.

"I'll see what I can do," Spanner says, and he looks down at the address he's scrawled down.

-----

Spanner runs a hand through his hair. It's two hours before his appointment to Tsuna's house and he doesn't know what to wear. Well he does, since all he sees in his closet is a uniform, uniform, another uniform, and that neon orange uniform Irie sends him every Friday. Electrician duty. Fun.

Anyway, Spanner is sitting on his bed in a dark green uniform, a one piece that makes him think of a human-sized sleeping bag with arms and legs. Or a humanified sleeping bag- but just having arms and legs didn't make you human. Spanner blinks and runs a hand through messy curls again. Maybe lollipops in the morning wasn't such a good idea after all.

Thinking Tsuna is that Kid he sees in the grocery store isn't as great either. While he's waiting for time to pass, since he knows the Ki- Tsuna's house is just a ten-minute drive from his apartment, he's thinking of different scenarios.

His first best option would be: greeting the Kid at the door, knock him out, handcuff him, and do whatever the hell he wanted to. With the X-Burner.

Or the second best option was for Spanner to trip over the cracks in the pavement, ring the doorbell, place his box of tools down, look presentable, greet the K- Tsuna, look over the X-Burner, and rush out.

Spanner really needs some green tea. Those scientific people said it was a good relaxant or something. And he always trusts a good set of data.

-----

So the drive to Tsuna's place actually took a total of 585 seconds, two lollipops, and a sip of cold green tea. That twist in Spanner's organs worsens at every step and Spanner vaguely wonders about throwing up all over the porch. He hasn't thrown up since elementary school. But his stomach is doubling over itself as he makes his way towards the front door. He's pretty sure that's not a good thing.

He rings the doorbell and loses composure when the door opens at the middle of the chime. Wasn't there some kind of house rule, where the door should open after the chime finishes chiming, or after the chime finishes chiming, the door should open. The blackberry lollipop in his mouth is still gratefully clenched between his teeth, and Spanner just realizes what flavour it is. He thought he'd gotten rid of them, but he can't stop staring at who's at the doorway.

Tsuna was the Kid. Or maybe the Kid was Tsuna's brother. Or really cute. Or both. Spanner could deal with either. Unless Tsuna was actually one of Irie's bodyguards and those guys are seriously strong and if Tsuna was the Kid's big brother on top of that, Spanner has no hope for- wait, what? What does he hope for? Is he actually gay for this Kid?

Spanner seems to have lost his voice, but the Kid's blushing a bit pink, and scratching the back of his head. Spanner wants to cry because the Kid fights dirty, and no way was Spanner ever attracted to little kids before.

"Um... _Ohayoo gozaima- _I mean... um... good morning... Supana-san. Um.... nice to meet you." Then it _smiled_. Spanner wanted to either kiss that dimple, and the handcuffing option is looking pretty good right now. So the Tsuna was Kid after all, but it was _doing_ _things_ to his organs. Like that smile was ordering his intestines to start strangling his kidneys. He _needs_ his kidneys. To breathe. Or something.

"_Ohayoo _Tsuna-kun_." _Spanner wants to pat himself on the back for functioning normally. He lifts his tool box just a fraction of an inch higher and it was kind of getting awkward and if someone didn't speak soon, he'd probably turn tail and run like-

"Ah..." Tsuna turns a bit pink again, and that's notcutenotcutenotcute. "Sorry... you can come in... and uh... follow me downstairs. That's where the furnace is."

Spanner would follow that kid anywhere, but there's that law against pedophiles. Isn't there? He clambers down the steps, following that fluffy, voluminous hair, a grin creeping into his lips every time he sees the quick dart of Tsuna's brown, wide eyes. Tsuna could pass as some kind of twitchy little furry thing, but Spanner quickly shoots that idea down as he sees a pair of ears and a tail. That was one kidney down. Three more vital organs to go.

-----

The X-Burner was amazing actually. All clean, sharp, cared for, with the number 27 printed neatly into the metal. Tsuna was a different person once he was near the thing, eyes appearing golden under heavy eyelids, like they couldn't hold the weight of such long eyelashes. Guys shouldn't be this pretty, Spanner thinks and a muscle spasms when Tsuna looks at him like _that_, all mischievous and coy, as he dramatically flicks the power switch on.

And the furnace hums beautifully, and Tsuna is practically _glowing_ with some inner flame, and Spanner itches to possess it, all of it, and then he notices something is off. He's about to speak, when a voice declares, "It's not complete." That voice sends Spanner over the edge and he finally realizes he _wants _Tsuna_. Wantwantwantwantsomuch, _but he clears his throat and runs a hand on the smooth metal, tracing the number. His fingers are shaking a little, like he's got an itch he couldn't scratch.

"It's definitely not because of the filter, if it makes a sound like that. So I'm just going to have a look." Spanner's not going to look at the kid. It was too tempting. To just _take_ him, standing there behind him, radiating a burning heat that kept him trapped.

"Okay, Supana-san." That voice is right next to his ear and Spanner hates not knowing why he feels like this for a kid he'd met just two days ago. In that grocery store. Buying lollipops. Those blackberry lollipops.

He deftly flicks the power switch down and he still hears the delicious hum of the furnace ringing in his ears. And then that breathless whisper and the smell of green tea when Tsuna leaves the room. Spanner hates gravity. Because it has him falling, falling, falling for that kid who can't pronounce his r's.


End file.
